You dare not mess with Shraddha

Bad man Shakti Kapoor’s eyes light up when he talks about his darling daughter Shraddha Kapoor. She’s the beat of his heart. Like any devoted father, her smallest quirk makes him happy. Currently, he’s in high heaven seeing her scale new heights of adulation - something that perhaps escaped him in his heyday because of the role choices he made. He is buoyed by her poise, her confidence in front of the camera, not to mention her ethereal grace. His only wish is that she reaches to the very top and remains there for a long, long time... given her pedigree (her aunt is the formidable Padmini Kolhapure). Into the heart and mind of a proud father...

“Shraddha is my mother’s blessing!”As there was no female child in the family, my mother always wished that I be blessed with a baby girl. Siddhant (Kapoor) is my first child. Shradha was born after him. I have never differentiated between a son and daughter. But I never dreamt that Shraddha would be an actor, rather I wanted Siddhant to be one. Shraddha was a good student and always scored a distinction in class. Despite my busy schedule, I always made a point to attend the parent-teacher meeting in my children’s schools. Later, she attended the Boston University for further studies. But I must confide that we noticed a star-like attitude early in her. Like she will only want the best food. She always drinks mineral water. She’s so finicky about hygiene that she’ll clean the plate several times before using it!

“If you upset her, she locks herself up in the room”She has largely been brought up by her maternal grandparents and was also looked after by her aunts Padmini (Kohlapure Sharma) and Tejaswini (Kohlapure). She is their favourite and perhaps that’s why she is a little stubborn, eccentric and moody. You have to tolerate her tantrums but the good thing is that she can be cajoled easily. She is not a difficult girl but you dare not mess with her! Also, Shraddha can’t tolerate rude behavior. You’ve got to be polite. If you happen to upset her, she locks herself in the room and stays inside for hours. Her moods can turn the house upside down! Even as a child she disliked loud and abusive people. Siddhant and Shraddha are perhaps world’s only siblings who have never fought with each other. They love each other deeply. On the other hand, I’ve had big fights with my sisters.

“Stardom will chase her”Shraddha was offered her first film when she was just 16. Salman Khan, after watching her English play at Bostan, offered her a film. But she was studying those days. Three years later when she came to Mumbai for her vacations, she auditioned for Yash Raj Films. Aditya Chopra signed her for three films (one being Luv Ka The End). However, the films didn’t work. Then she got Aashiqui 2. Her innocence was palpable and touched the audience’s heart. She is so engaging that anyone can fall in love with her. I’ve seen such purity in few actresses. I’m sure stardom will chase her. But honestly, Aditya Roy Kapoor’s performance was far more difficult. Also, Shraddha has a great sense of humour. She can make me laugh, something few people can. Juhi Chawla and Sridevi have a comic flair. After them Shraddha will be the best. She is a good dancer and a trained singer too. In school, she won every dance competition. Eventually, the teachers made her the judge, so that others would get a chance.

“She is strong, I am not”Shraddha doesn’t lose hope easily. She recently signed a big banner film. Excited, we celebrated the news by cutting cake. But unfortunately, the next day we came to know that she was no more part of the film, as the male lead wanted a bigger co-star. We were upset but there was no regret on Shraddha’s face. She said with a smile, “Something better is coming.” She is mentally strong, while my son and I are emotionally vulnerable.

“She earns two pennies and spends eight”She discusses her professional matters with me but her personal affairs are handled by her mother. Handling her finances is not difficult as she earns two pennies and spends eight. She is a spendthrift. For a Rs 70 hamburger, she gives a tip of Rs 100. She finds things cheap in India as compared to purchasing with US dollars. Whenever she goes abroad, I have to painstakingly explain the currency and its value to her! Also, she doesn’t believe in bargaining. I am protective about my kids, but I am not after their life. I never stop her from going anywhere. Recently, she went on a trip to Europe. I tell her life has to be enjoyed. But I have only one advice– do not take your work for granted! I have worked in more than 700 films; I have seen four generations of performers; I have seen stars reaching the top and falling down in no time. A little bit of insecurity is important for an actor. I give her the example of Akshay Kumar, who’s also my neighbour. He’s so disciplined.

Shraddha and Siddhant with their parents Shakti and Shivangi Kapoor

“She would get irritated on reading gossip about me”Siddhant hated the fact that his father was beaten up by heroes. I explained to him that this was my profession. That’s why I let Siddhant do the film Judwa, where he enacted my childhood. Shraddha, at times, gets irritated when she reads gossip or hears controversies related to me. Though she’d say, “Papa don’t worry about this crap!” she’d be hurt within. When her classmates said anything nasty about me, she’d hit back hard and end up in a huge fight. Now, when I hear anything controversial about her, I reassure her, “Beta, I understand and I am not disturbed!”“She is young and will have boyfriends”I played a villain on screen; this doesn’t mean that I am a monster in real-life too and all guys should be scared of me and never dare to propose to her. In fact, I’m open-minded and frank. We have not put any ban on Shraddha; we know as she is young and will have boyfriends. But, I caution her, ‘Don’t cheat anyone and don’t get cheated either!’ Earlier, she was linked to Aditya Roy Kapoor and now she is being linked with Varun Dhawan. We can understand the difference between rumours and truth. I eloped and got married to Shivangi. So how can I ask Shraddha to marry according to my wishes? I have no issues whether my son-in-law belongs to the film industry or any other industry. People belonging to the film industry are not bad; I have given a comfortable life to my wife. Shivangi is playing in millions! Our marriage has survived, even though people believed we would ultimately head for a divorce.

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